Demotion, promotions signal new economic development focus in Pekin

Pekin City Manager Joe Wuellner says it is time to restore the city’s economic development department to the status it deserves in these hard economic times.

Pekin Economic Development Director Leigh Ann Matthews has been removed from her position as director and demoted to the assistant of new Economic Development Director Pamela Anderson.

By Sharon Woods Harris

Journal Star

By Sharon Woods Harris

Posted Dec. 2, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 2, 2011 at 1:14 AM

By Sharon Woods Harris

Posted Dec. 2, 2011 at 12:01 AM
Updated Dec 2, 2011 at 1:14 AM

PEKIN

Pekin City Manager Joe Wuellner says it is time to restore the city’s economic development department to the status it deserves in these hard economic times.

Pekin Economic Development Director Leigh Ann Matthews has been removed from her position as director and demoted to the assistant of new Economic Development Director Pamela Anderson.

Anderson will continue in her position as the community development director. Her assistant there, Vickie Bass, has been promoted to HUD coordinator.

Anderson received a salary increase from $77,064 to $83,200 with her new assignments. Bass also received a salary increase from $41,496 to $45,760 to compensate her for her new duties.

Matthews’ salary was reduced from the approximate $67,000 a year she was earning to $57,491. Had Matthews worked a full 40-hour week, as the position calls for, she would have earned $72,155. She was not working full-time at the time of her demotion.

Wuellner said there were no new hires within the city, and with the reallocation of the three workers’ salaries there will be no additional spending.

The change, said Wuellner, comes after complaints by local business owners and Pekin City Council members about Matthews and the direction the department was taking.

Matthews was promoted to economic development director by former City Manager Dennis Kief in August 2010. She was the Pekin Main Street director at the time she was promoted.

“We need someone to take the initiative to go out and meet with people,” said Wuellner. “Pamela has that experience.

“She has previous economic development experience in Princeville and here in Pekin. She worked as the assistant to (former Pekin Economic Development Director) Kim Uhlig. Pamela will go out — she is just that sort of person.”

Wuellner said that 75 percent of a municipality’s economic growth comes from businesses already located in the community. The economic development director is required to make retention visits to local businesses to see if they need anything, if they are having any problems and to ask what the city can do to help them grow.

Wuellner said retention visits have not been made in recent memory. He said Matthews said she was never told she needed to do that. Matthews, he said, has no previous economic development experience. During her time as economic development director she did not attend Economic Development Commission meetings in Peoria or go to economic development conventions.

Anderson has started retention visits and already reported to Wuellner on what she found. Wuellner said he wants a set schedule and goals for the department. He said he wanted someone with the mind-set of Uhlig.

“Pamela tutored under Kim,” he said, adding that Uhlig, who now holds an economic development position in the area, has offered to help to help in any way she can.

Page 2 of 2 - Wuellner said Matthews was not properly trained and that she simply “didn’t know what was required.” She will be trained and monitored as assistant economic development director.

“She wasn’t given proper direction,” said Wuellner. “She was a quick replacement for Steve Brown when he left. She was the former Pekin Main Street director and did an excellent job at that.”

During her time as economic development director, said Wuellner, Matthews did have success with bringing Big R to town. She was also involved in two other development projects that simply did not work out through no fault of her own. He said she has also been very involved with the South Side Industrial TIF District.

Wuellner and Assistant Finance Director Angie Evans said the job of economic development director was never posted as open, as is the custom with the city.

“I just know that one day at staff meeting Denny walked in and introduced Leigh Ann as the new economic development director,” he said. “(The failings in the economic development department) is the thing I heard the most complaints about (when I started as city manager).”

Economic development, said Wuellner, is among the city’s highest priorities. He said he is attending all EDC meetings now as well.

Anderson said she will spend a short time getting to “know the pulse of the community through local business owners.”

“We know that 75 percent of our growth will come from existing business,” she said. “We need to know how their business is doing and be made aware of how we can help them expand.

“I want to give more structure to the department.” As far as new business, “First of all, I think we need to identify our assets and our needs.” Anderson said the key is looking at what is out there and finding “the best fit for Pekin.”

One of the assets Anderson will develop is the city website and making it work for the city in attracting new development. She will make sure it is updated frequently with information for prospective businesses.

Location One is a database that the city belongs to, but Wuellner and Anderson both said it has not been updated in a very long time.

“Don’t ask me when the last time was that it was updated,” said Wuellner. The database lists property for sale for businesses.

“I realize right now that it has not been fully utilized,” said Anderson. “That is already in motion.”